Secrets
The bell rang before Stan could make a comment about it, and he and Eddie walked back to class together. The blond was completely lost in his thoughts, creating plans and scenarios, and thinking back to when any of this could have happened. 'How are two of my best friends in love with each other, and I didn't notice either.'
They couldn't have known about the each other either. They'd have something going on by now, and they would have told Stan and Eddie that they were a thing, right?
Or maybe they wouldn't tell them...
Maybe they were actually a thing but not telling anyone that they were dating so they don't have to deal with the prejudice of other people. Maybe they were scared of what even their two best friends might think, and the whole 'Diary' and 'Truth or Dare' situations were because they both wanted to reach out, to tell them everything, but was still afraid to.
Or they just coincidentally fell in love at the same time.
Either way, Stan had a plan.
Eddie was thinking of some sort of plan as well, but not involving Bill or Richie. He knew that it would be best if he were the one to tell Stan that he chose him for Richie's little Truth, and definitely NOT from Richie. He knew he had to be casual about it, or God forbid Stan takes it as a real confession. Eddie could practically taste the awkwardness out of his thoughts.
They made it to their last class of the day and not-so-sneakily got to their seats. They looked around but luckily the teacher wasn't even in the room yet. Eddie sat down heavily and looked over to a very-out-of-it Stan.
"Hey, Stan?," no response. "Stan."
"I think I have a plan," he turned suddenly. "It could work out perfectly, or disasterdly."
"What?," Eddie did not like where this was going.
"We'll set them up."
"Set them up? We?," Eddie's suspicions were right, as always. "Set who? How?"
"We'll set them up on a date, and we'll get Beverly in on this."
"What? No!," Stan was taken aback at his friend's disapproval. "You... You can't just tell Beverly."
"Why not?"
"Cuz!"
"That's not a very good answer, Eddie."
"Because it," he glared at the ceiling. "Because it felt confidential and I only wanted you to know so I wouldn't be alone." Eddie's face fell into his hands, then another point came into his mind. "Wait, why do you think Bill would even consider Richie?" He looked back at Stan.
"Because," Stan said softly, now the one looking around. "He told me so." Eddie stared numbly for what felt like hours.
"I'm sorry... what?," he all but hissed.
"We were talking and he said that he liked him."
"What?"
"...Yeah," he didn't know what else to say to that.
"That's just," Eddie looked down at his desk, "Why?" Stan looked at him expectantly until Eddie saw him. "Why Richie, of ALL people?" Stan smiled when he realized it was a joke, and not Eddie alienating Bill for what team he swung for.
"You don't have to help me, if you don't want to," Stan said after a few moments, Eddie's face still in his hands. Eddie sighed.
"I'll... They're my friends too. I'll stick with you through this." Stan smiled at his smaller friend. "Also... about who I picked...," he started.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"Well, I don't want you hearing from Richie anyway," he played with the corner of his desk. "I... picked you." Eddie's tan cheeks had a red tint to them.
"Oh... kay?" Stan thought that this obviously couldn't be a confession of Eddie's "true" feelings for him, but was confused. Yet again, when don't his friends confuse him? "Why?" Eddie finally looked at him.
"What do you mean?," he asked softly.
"I mean, why did you pick me?"
"Well, I wasn't gonna pick Richie, obviously," Eddie rushed out. "And I wasn't about to drag Bill into his teasing. And I was not gonna pick Ben OR Mike, so...," he sighed. "I know that you can shut Richie up pretty good. You got the best comebacks. I just kinda assumed that... his teasing wouldn't bother you." His eyes trailed down to his desk again. "And as soon as you told him off, he wouldn't bring it up again... but... he got so weird after I answered..."
Stan smiled at his friend. "You had faith in my insults?"
"Well, yeah, but more so your skin... I mean, your tough skin! Not like I like your skin or anything, I meant it fig-"
"It's fine, Eddie, relax. Don't hurt yourself," Stan soothed his friend's rambling. "We'll try to find Bev after this period, cool?"
"Yeah. Cool."
AN: Hello hello. Nice to see you all again so soon. School's almost out for me so I've had a lot more time on my hands without the excessive homework load, but I am going off to camp for the summer so this may be it for a while. Sorry. Have a fun and not too horrifying summer!